Buffalo Wings

I love Buffalo Wings. Ok, they are really chicken wings fried then dipped in sauce but everyone already knows that. What I hate, however, are bones. That's why this recipe is so genius. I wish I could say that it was my idea but it isn't. I got it from my friend Kim. Its really good, a definite crowd pleaser, but in no way healthy. I made it for the 2 Memorial Day bar-b-que's this weekend that we went to instead of a healthy option.

Buffalo Wing Dip

1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup chunky bleu cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pkg cream cheese
1 lg chicken breast

Mix wing sauce, cream cheese, bleu cheese dressing, and cheddar cheese in a bowl. Chop up the chicken breast into chunks and boil. After cooked, chop chicken and stir it into mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Then add another 1/2 cup of cheddar and put back in oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melty.

Its pretty awesome... I add extra chicken and a little extra bleu cheese dressing and wing sauce if I'm making it for a lot of people. Serve it with tortilla chips.

Memorial Day was really fun this year. I got to swim twice. That is great considering I don't think that I swam last summer at all. I am very sunburned right now. I think this all means this is going to be a really good summer. Its about time! :)

Recipe

I dont have a recipe. I don't even have any groceries. I am planning on trying a dip from my cook book for Jayme and Kevins Bar-b-que this weekend. I'll post that and let you know how it turned out. Baba is getting better, slowly but surely.

Beach

Footprints

Ocean Suds

Tiny Dunes

Ripples

Afternoon

These are some of my beach pictures. I love the beach. I cant believe how I took it for granted when I lived in Corpus. I went out for about 30 minutes in the evening after a day at the hospital and took these. Hope you like them!

Baba

This is a picture I took of Baba and his best friend Andy before leaving for his surgery. They were having a chat, waiting for the women on the driveway in the front porch.

Home again

Baba is healing but he is back in the hospital and having some fluid drained but they say its not uncommon. Also, I'm very sad because yesterday Grandma Violet passed away. She will be missed but we are glad that she is at peace now. The drama seems to always continue.

As the title suggests - I 'm home!! I missed home. I missed my hubby and my house and my animals and my church and my friends! I miss Baba and Nani too and wish I could be there at the same time. Depending on how this hospital stay goes, I may go again soon.

I have some pictures that I took when I drove out to the beach after leaving the hospital one day while I was in Corpus Christi. I will post those soon.

Thanks for all the prayers.

Hospitals

Here's the thing about hospitals... They are not fun. When I was a kid, being at the hospital in Houston was kinda fun. I got to race down the halls in wheel chairs. I had an all-access backstage pass to the room the nurses hung out in, you know, with the little fridge with the juice cups. Everyone knew me and my Dad and we ate hospital food daily. It was way better than school food. It was more fun too. I could explore our floor, others, even walk under the street all the way to Texas Children's and get my Dad and I lunch at McDonald's. It was sometimes boring, but mostly like a little mini adventure.

Now I am old- er and the hospital that I am hanging out in is in Corpus Christi and it is not fun or adventurous. Its stinky and kinda boring. I'm really glad that I am here to take care of Baba. He's taken care of me my whole life and its an honor to care for him now. Also because Nani needs help. That part is great... but the hospital food isn't what I remember and now I look a little silly wheeling up and down the halls in a wheel chair. I also don't get quite as excited about free juice.

I think that God teaches us in all different ways. I also think that He likes to surprise me with the lesson. Whatever it is that I think I'm going to learn from a certain situation or time in my life is almost never right - it ends up being something completely different and better and more important than what I expected. And the experience and lesson is always humbling. I think that is the point.

Update

Its a busy week. First - Baba's surgery was a sucess. He's awake and feeling good, all things considered. They did not remove his sense of humor - he's cracking jokes already. Its been a long few days but God is good and has taken care of Baba, Nani and me wonderfully. I'm so thankful for his faithfulness and love. He really does answer prayers.

Its Friday and he's still in ICU. He is doing well but for his blood pressure being a little low. As soon as it gets up higher on its own, without the help of drugs, he'll be put in a regular room. He is demanding his phone and Nani and I are holding steadfast and not letting him have it yet. I know that as soon as he gets it he'll be on it all the time and not rest.

I did also have a recipe of the week - I just hadnt posted yet. And its good. I can take no credit for the creation of it, but its really really good. Its from the new Weight Watchers cookbook - its skinless boneless chicken thighs brushed with a dijon mustard and orange juice mixture then pressed into a mixture of whole wheat cracker crumbs, scallions, and orange zest. You bake it for 15 minutes on each side and Voila! Super yummy chicken. If you are interested in the recipe then post a comment and I will email the whole thing to you.